


~:.Unheard.:~ Deaf!ReaderXTutor!France

by SethSoraSkyie



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: A little bit of history facts for ya, Deaf Character, F/M, France is actually a cool dude, Genevieve is the name of my Fem!France OC, I wrote this on a plane so nothing makes sense, Implied Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22675939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SethSoraSkyie/pseuds/SethSoraSkyie
Summary: Cross-posted on DeviantArt under SethSoraSkyie.I do not speak French, please excuse my disastrous attempt.Reader has it rough. It's not until our favorite Frenchman comes along and signs her into a new world.
Relationships: France (Hetalia)/Reader
Kudos: 4





	~:.Unheard.:~ Deaf!ReaderXTutor!France

Life has been especially rough on (Name). Born deaf to a hearing family, childhood was wraught with communication difficulties and frequent outbursts of frustration from her parents, not that she could even hear them. But she could always feel the scaping of chairs in the dining room, concentrated bangs of fists on various walls of the house, and slams of doors followed by screams of frustration. While (Name) could never hear the screech of her mother, the bloodshot eyes and lack of attention told her the entire story. Her parents had only taken the time to learn two signs; "No" and "Stop". 

At this point in (Name)'s life, she gave up on ever communicating with another -hearing- person. All anyone ever signed to her was "Sorry" and would leave her to think alone. Her private tutor, Professor Sullivan, came from Boston to teach her class sign language, but only got the manual alphabet locked into their brains. Granted, children will catch onto topics if given the consistent chance and motivation. For (Name) it was a necessity. For her class, it was just another homework assignment. 

Writing between classmates proved to be easier on the teachers and students, but starved (Name) of having any real communication skills. As a consequence, she was only ever able to sign at an infant level, having never developed, or rather given the time of day, to learn how her language was -supposed- to work. 

High school passed without any joy in (Name)'s life. She skipped prom and her graduation ceremony, knowing when they called her name and she didn't respond, there would be people snickering and mocking her. Not exactly the mark she wanted to leave, thus the easier solution was to not let it happen. 

The university (Name) had applied to was almost a perfect fit. There was a small population of deaf students and classes devoted to helping them learn employment skills for occupations not just fast food and retail. The classes actually taught the students how to make their unique abilities viable and wanted. (Name) had decided on a Communications major, something that just felt right for her. 

That is where she met Francis Bonnefoy. 

He had graduated abroad in France, but came to her country to teach sign language to future interpreters, but had tutoring sessions every week in the Liberal Arts Hall. While his dashing good looks attracted the eyes of many female students, (Name) was attracted for a different reason. She would later describe in her biography as "Love at first Sign". 

(Name) had walked into the tutoring hall that week to meet with her best friend, Helene, who was also deaf. She, unlike (Name), wasn't born deaf, but slowly lost her hearing to a disease. Helene had debated on getting an implant, but eventually refused as she didn't have the funds and surgery scared her. 

On that day, Helene had been ill with the flu and couldn't make it to her regularly scheduled lessons. Instead, she urged (Name) to go and try to make new friends. When she walked into the room, it was empty expect for the tall man sitting in the corner. 

His hair was shoulder length and wavy. Even in sign (Name) didn't have the signs to explain how gorgeous his hair was. Even the sun paled in comparison to how golden this man's hair was. Light stuble danced across his face making him appear much older than the fresh out of high school males looked. He was dressed in all black, common for interpreters so their hands could easily be seen. His eyes were the color of lapis lazuli, deep and thoughtful. Thoes eyes caught her attention followed by familiar hand movements that brought joy to her heart. 

"Hello. My name is Francis Bonnefoy. What is your name?" His hands moved in a way that made (Name) think he grew up deaf like her. No common person could move with the grace or speed like this Francis person could, at least from what (Name) had grown accustomed to. Her hands rose from her sides to in front of her torso, moving with eagerness. 

"Hello. My name is (Name). Are you a teacher?" She sat down at the table across from him, reaching for her notebook and journal. He signed back quickly. 

"You have a beautiful name, (Name). I am the tutor for deaf studies." 

"I see. Are you deaf?". (Name) could swear she feel his chuckle from across the table. She saw his lips move in sync with his hands, something very common with interpreters.

"I am not deaf. However, I studied deaf culture and language as a child and studied it in University". 

(Name) didn't know how to react. A hearing person who was interested in her culture? Someone who dedicated their lives to it? She hadn't known anyone else like that since Professor Sullivan, whom she knew as a child. Even she had only learned because her aging mother lost her voice and chose to communicate in sign rather than bells or texts. More or less, Professor Sullivan only did sign out of convince and a paycheck, her only saving grace being she was slightly more patient than (Name)'s parents. 

"Why?" The sign was simple enough. A question begging for an answer. 

"My sister is deaf. I couldn't fathom the idea of people bullying her at school, so I learned sign, taught her, and taught her class. Her name is Genevieve, occasionally she is a substitute for me." 

(Name) recalled the woman he was taking about. Taking a closer look at Francis, she saw the resemblance. The only real difference being hight and lack of facial hair. (Name) would occasionally see Genevieve wave at her in passing but never paid much attention, having assumed she didn't know sign. Francis continued signing. 

"Did you know ASL derives from French sign language? There are many similarities. Sometimes I struggle to remember one or the other." This earned a laugh from both of them. 

(Name) immediately covered her mouth and quickly signed an apology. Francis shook his head. 

"Never be ashamed of your voice. It's unique and tells your story, something no one else in the world can do. Besides, it was beautiful! Our laughs harmonize very well!" His signs were sincere and his eyes said the same. 

Never in her life had (Name) felt like a person. Often people would ignore her, or give dirty looks when her voice came out. It had drained her confidence to an absolute zero. Even get parents dismissed her request go learn how to say basic things as a child. For them, it was too difficult to explain how voices worked and how to form words. To then, she was foreign. Nothing crushed her more when she learned exactly what that works meant. Hot tears formed at the edges of her eyes, the color of them enhanced at the sign of recognizion. A warm hand wiped them away. To her surprise, Francis was next to her. She hadn't even felt his chair or feet move towards her. His signs were fluid and gentle. 

"My dear sister felt the same way. Never will I let a belle like you feel like that." (Name) encased him in a hug and for the first time in forever, someone huged back. His arms were toned and held her in a secure embrace. The black fabric was soft against her skin and smelled of something she didn't know the word to. 

The rest of that session was used only for (Name). Francis quickly brought her into a new world, one where her voice finally mattered. The following semesters were filled with vocabulary and grammar lessons. (Name) learned how to write more clearly in English and gained an unrivaled amount of confidence in her signing. She continued to make new friends, both hearing and deaf as the semesters went on. Her Communications major was wrapping up beautifully.

Finally, graduation had arrived. Francis had spent weeks coaxing (Name) into attending, deeply saddened that she had skipped her high school one. He had been working in secret to get all her old friends to attend that day and cheer her on from the side. There was another surprise he had been planning since the day (Name) signed to him that she was going to graduate with highest honors. It had taken work, but (Name) finally accepted she was going to walk across the stage, if only to appease Francis. 

The weather had agreed with the university that day. Sunshine with a few clouds, truly a blue sky was something to always be cheered by. The thousands of students lined up for the respective majors and receptions following the receiving of their diplomas. Various caps and gowns flodded the graduation halls. All of the ladies had their best outfits on, faces enhanced by skillfull makeup applications, and hair done as unique as them. The men were mostly the same. A suit and tie was professional enough for most. 

Francis had taken (Name) shopping a few days earlier to pick out a dress for the occasion. They had chosen a tea length dress in (Name)'s preferred color. The cap sleeves balanced her delicate shoulders and the lace appliques complimented her feminine style. Her nails and hair had been done by Genevieve. A simple braid followed the curve of her spine and was accented with tiny rose pins. Her nails were done in a very predictable French manicure. (Name) and Genevieve had a good laugh at that. Finally, her shoes were plain slip-on shoes in black with small red roses on the tips. 

The hours clicked slowly while (Name) sat in the audience. Not being able to hear the fanfares or the Provost's speech made the morning a bit boring. Eventually her neighbor lead the line to receive diplomas. When is was (Name)'s turn, she was shocked to see what the audience and Provost did. 

In perfect sign, her name was announced alongside her major and mention of highest honors. The Provost had signed at her, just like he was directly speaking to her, not ignoring her and doing it for the crowd. 

She didn't even remember waking across the stage, her legs feeling like jelly the whole time. She turned to the audience with an awkward smile and tears threatening to spill out. The audience greeted her with the rhands up in the air, shaking quickly from side to side, similar to "Jazz Hands". (Name) recognized this as applauding in sign. 

Her attention was turned to Francis, standing at the and of the stage. Even he had dressed up for the occasion. Instead of his usual black shirt and pants, he was done up in a grey dress shirt with silver threads sewn vertically and tucked into kahki slacks. Shiny black shoes and a genuine smile finished his look. Outstretched was his hand, holding a single, flawless rose, greeting (Name) at the bottom of the stage stairs. 

Completely ignoring the graduation picture, (Name) ran to Francis, embracing him and tears spilling from her eyes, nearly crushing the rose and earning a deep chuckle from Francis. Once she gained composure, she signed her favorite question, "Why?". Francis' warm smile began the conversation as his hands rose to sign. He placed the rose behind her hair. (Name) noticed the lack of thorns and felt the smooth velvety petals beneath her fingers. 

"For you, mon belle. You deserve this recognition. It took a little work, but we taught everyone here how to show their support for you, specifically for you. We all care about you."

(Name) had let out multiple hiccups and sobs as Francis signed this to her. Friends came to support her and held her in a large group hug. 

Graduation signalled the end of a dark and quiet world for (Name). Now, with newfound confidence, she was able to communicate with a world that shut her out all those years ago. Opportunity awaited her wherever she stepped. She started her career with a blog, regaling her time in a world of silence and frustration to a universe of unlimited possibility. It would take work to create her blog posts into future novels, but she finally had the support to do so and the confidence to voice her true self. 

The warm breeze of Paris greeted (Name) after a long flight from her home country. Hand in hand with Francis, they made way to their new home, a place open to opportunity, new adventures, and where two languages combined created a language indescribable by mere words alone. 

Folding his middle and ring finger down and shaking next to his chin, facing (Name) he signed, "I Love You". 

Her thumb and pinky raised and bounced between her body and his, "Same". 

A harmonized laugh filled the streets of Paris. 

**Author's Note:**

> I actually do know some sign language! Enough to get by and make a sandwich. Weird combination, I know. I work at a restaurant and we have a lot of deaf students come by. To make their lives easier and less stresseful, I learned some basic sign to help them actually get the food they want, the way they want. Never knew the sign for "more" was so adorable! I really hope they don't think I'm a creep for doing it...
> 
> Did you know French sign language was the pioneer of American Sign Language (ASL)? That's why I chose for France to be (Name)'s tutor. Dumb reason I know, but I felt like it made sense. But don't take my word for it. I'm on a plane writing this on my phone and the recycled air is making me second guess my decision. Sos send fresh water please. 
> 
> I was inspired from various figures in history, just two in this piece. If you want pick them out, nice job! I was obsessed with these two as a kid. Funny enough, I learned the manual alphabet and learned how to read Braille when I was in 2nd grade. It's been with me to this day. Must be a "sign", hahaha! 
> 
> Puns aside, thank you for reading! If you feel something wasn't represented correctly, please let me know! I only write from my experience (which is very limited) and would love more perspectives. 
> 
> Thank you!  
> PS. Oh God I know my French is bad, but I didn't think it was that bad. Send help, sos.


End file.
